Beverage extraction apparatus

Details Beverage extraction apparatus Beverage extraction apparatus

2000-04-04

2001-08-14

Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)

Foods and beverages: apparatus

Beverage

Infusors

C099S305000, C099S290000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06272973

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a beverage extraction apparatus, and more particularly to a beverage extraction apparatus in which a mixture of powdered raw material and hot water is filtered under air pressure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An example of conventional beverage extraction apparatus is that disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid Open No.Sho61-118526. As shown in
FIG. 1
, beverage extraction apparatus
100
is provided with cylinder
101
supported to be movable up and down to which a mixture of a powdered raw material and hot water is supplied from upward and discharged downward, filter
102
for filtration of the mixture discharged from cylinder
101
, beverage receiver
104
having rubber seal
103
to receive the beverage extracted by filtration with filter
102
, beverage supply tube
105
for supplying the beverage to a cup, cam system
106
consisting of pressure plate
106
a
and cam
106
b
, and a control system (not shown) to control each par of beverage extraction apparatus
100
. Filter
102
is placed under cylinder
101
. Beverage supply tube
105
is connected with beverage receiver
104
.
Cylinder
101
is provided with mixing chamber
101
b
for mixing the powdered raw material and water supplied from inlet
101
a
placed in the upper part thereof and extraction chamber
101
d
in which the beverage is extracted and discharged from outlet
101
c
placed in the lower part thereof. Mixing chamber
101
b
is communicated with extraction chamber
101
d
by way of conduit
101
e
, which is opened or closed by means of valve
107
. Air pipe
109
is connected with extraction chamber
110
d
in order to introduce compressed air into extraction chamber
101
d
from air pump
108
.
In beverage extraction apparatus
100
thus constructed, the control unit, not shown, drives an extraction driving motor (not shown) according to serving signal inputted therein, thereby cylinder
101
is lowered from stand-by position P and its lower end is brought into contact with rubber seal
103
on beverage receiver
104
. Thereafter, the powdered raw material and hot water are supplied from inlet
110
a
. The control unit drives air pump
108
to supply compressed air to extraction chamber
101
d
through air pipe
109
. In this state, valve
107
is opened a little, thereby, the compressed air is supplied from extraction chamber
101
d
through conduit
101
e
to mixing chamber
101
b
, so as to agitate the mixture of powdered raw material and hot water supplied to mixing chamber
101
b
. When the mixture is stirred sufficiently, air pump
108
is allowed to stop and the mixture flows into extraction chamber
110
d
through conduit
110
e
.
FIG. 2
shows the extraction process. The control unit drives the extraction driving motor to elevate valve
107
so as to close conduit
101
e
, and drives also air pump
108
to supply compressed air to extraction chamber
110
d
through air pipe
109
. The mixture stored in extraction chamber
101
d
is filtered by filter
102
, being forced by the compressed air. The pressure applied to beverage supply tube
105
by pressure plate
106
a
is removed by the rotation of cam
106
b
in a predetermined angle according to driving of a serving motor (not shown), thereby beverage supply tube
105
is opened.
When the beverage filtered by filter
102
is supplied to a serving cup (not shown) through beverage supply tube
105
, cylinder
101
is moved to waste disposal position P′ shown in
FIG. 2
, filter
102
is removed from beverage receiver
104
, and the waste left on the filter
102
is discarded, being controlled by the control unit. The extraction process is thus finished. The control unit drives extraction driving motor so that cylinder
101
returns to position P.
In such a beverage extraction apparatus in which the mixture of powdered raw material and hot water is extracted under air pressure, time for filtration varies depending on the resistance on passage of the water through the filter, kind of the raw material, fineness of the powder, and quantity of the raw material.
FIGS. 3A
to
3
D show the change of pressure within the cylinder during filtration in the beverage extraction apparatus.
FIG. 3A
shows the pressure change in the case where a predetermined amount of the powdered raw material is used. After the filtration is started at time A, the pressure within the cylinder is elevated. At time B when most of the liquid component in the cylinder is filtered, the pressure decreases. After air blowing is conducted for a predetermined period for preventing the extracted beverage solution from remaining in the beverage supply tube, pressure in the cylinder is removed at time C.
FIG. 3B
shows the change in pressure when the amount of the raw material is increased. The time B when most of the liquid component is filtered is delayed compared to the time B shown in FIG.
3
A. Moreover, the pressure is increased because the waste of powdered raw material deposited on the filter after filtration is increased to have a greater thickness.
With respect to a beverage vendor provided with the beverage extraction apparatus mentioned above, there are two modes of extraction, of which one is timely extraction in which the beverage is extracted in cups one by one on demand of service and the other is batch extraction in which a lot of beverage is extracted once and stored in a tank. In batch extraction, the powdered law material and hot water come into contact more gently than in timely extraction. Thus, a beverage of better quality having less bitter and less impure taste can be extracted. In batch extraction, a beverage of high quality can be served quickly even when the serving is very busy because the beverage stored in the tank is served on demand of service.
FIG. 3C
shows the change in pressure in the cylinder in the case of batch extraction. Low pressure of air is applied to the mixture of a powdered raw material and hot water to filter it in a long period, thus, time B when almost all of the liquid component is filtered is delayed compared to time B shown in FIG.
3
B.
As described above, the time required for filtration varies depending on the manner of extraction. In an arrangement, for example, in which filtration is terminated by a timer, it is necessary to set a time for filtration in slight excess so that the filtration is complete in substance when the time set for filtration is over. The time for complete filtration may deviate from the time set by the timer, due to the changes in the amount of powdered raw material and hot water, pressure loss in pipings, fluctuation of the air pump and so on. If the filtration time is too short, filtration is not enough. If the filtration time is too long, compression by air is continued on the waste of the raw material from which the liquid component has been filtered out, resulting in extraction of astringency, bitter and other useless components.
A beverage extraction apparatus free from such obstruction is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid Open No.Sho63-12088. In this beverage extraction apparatus, filtration is terminated by detecting the change in pressure within the hot water-supplying cylinder according to the finishing of filtration by means of a pressure sensor. Other arrangements of beverage extraction apparatus are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No.Sho63-47899 and Japanese Patent Laid Open No.Hei4-188396, in which the change in pressure within the hot water-supplying cylinder is detected by a pressure sensor. Various measures have been taken against defective filtration so far.
In the beverage extraction apparatuses described above, the mixture of a powdered raw material and hot water is agitated by compressed air in order to accelerate extraction to accomplish efficient extraction of the beverage on demand of service, but degrees of dissolution of the components of beverage, such as taste components, astringent components, bitter components and sour components, vary according to the intensity of agitation. The rate of extracti

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